so received that he was assured of Victory and of the speedy dispatch of the whole undertaking He retires to his Pavilion and sleeps part of the Night and by then it was day he causes the Trumpets to Sound nothing but Gallantry and chearfulness was seen in the Counteance of his Soldiers When he entred the Marches of Assyria he rides in the head of his Army that by his own Example he might encourage his Soldiers To furnish his Army with provisions he had a brave Armadâ— Sailing upon Euphrates Some strong Cities Seated upon the bank of which he presently took He laid a Bridge made of Ships on which the Army passed over Tigris then the Persians gave him Battel which was courageously fought from morning till night But the Roman Valour made the Persians to yield the Victory was gain'd with little loss to the Romans Though Two Thousand and five hundred of the Persians were slain only Threescore and Ten of the Romans were killed This made him more confident whereupon to reconcile Mars he prepared many Sacrifices all which were Ominous Ten Bulls the fairest that could be procured were intended for the Oblation Nine of which before they could be hail'd to the Altar fell down dead the Tenth broke his bonds and running away with much difficulty was brought back again but being slain gave Ominous signs which being perceived by Julian threw him into such an indignation that he swore by Jupiter he would offer no more Sacrifices to Mars which Oath his sudden death made him to perform He was not yet discouraged but brought his Army to Tesiphon a City placed on the farther banks of Tigris at the sight of which he conceived a vast Joy and promised to himself so great a Conquest that he had swallowed up in his hopes all Persia But before the Walls of this City his Victories received a Period for Tesiphon is judged inpregnable and thereupon his Council of War diswade him from laying Siege to it Nazianzen relates that a Noble Persian in imitation of Zophyrus who pretended a defection from Cyrus that he might have the opportunity to deliver Babylon into his hands flies to Julian ingratiates himself into his favour and encouraging him to continue the War against Persia perswades him to burn his Ships withal promising that he would be a faithful guide to his Army to conduct them safely through those ways in which they were to March Julian therefore commands his Ships to be set on fire reserving only Twelve of the less for the making of Bridges the reason that induc'd him to this fatal Action was a fear lest if his Navy was left behind it might turn to the benefit of his Enemies He Judged that 20000 men would do him better Service at Land than when employed in Ships His great admirer Mars justifies him by the Examples of famous Princes who have burnt those Ships which have carried their Soldiers into forreign Countries that if their innate Vertue did not make them Valarous yet desperation should By such facts they let their Army know that no other Liberty was given them but either to Conquer or Dye But this fact of Julians was so impolitick that it may be justly esteemed an Act of the Divine Providence to infatuate the Council of a politick Apostate for it proved fatal to the Roman Army By this means he wanted materials to make Bridges and his Army for want of provision was reduced to great extremities by the advice of his guides leaving Tigris in his March on his left hand he passed into fertile Countries but those the Persians had destroyed they burnt the very Trees and left nothing that was necessary to sustain either Man or Beast Julian to encourage his Army lived upon thick gruel the Army being press'd with these exigences he in his sleep was terrified with a dream of a falling Star concerning which consulting his Southsayers they advised him to stay in the Camp for some hours but he would not The Persians glad of this occasion fell upon the Roman Camp in several places They who gave the assault upon the Arrear disturbed the whole Army of which Julian being advised with the greatest hast rides to recover the Battel but amidst his flying Soldiers he was struck with a Horsemans Javelin of which wound he not long after dyed This wound so enraged his Soldiers that their revenge and anger were testified by their ratling of their Shields For with an invincible courage they flew upon the Persians resolving either to conquer or dye with their Emperor a rare courage in the Romans Many times it happens that the Death of a General is the rout of an Army but contrary was the fortune of that fight for though the Persians heightned their courage at the News of Julians fatal wound darkened the Sun with the volleys of their Arrows and opposed their Elephants yet by the Roman Sword there were slain Mercena and Malaodares two great Commanders of the Army 50. great Persian Lords and most part of the Common Soldiers The like instance we have in the late Wars of Gemany in that memorable fight of Lutzen when the invincible Gustavus received the fatal wound and thereto added a most ample testimony of humane vanity he that was esteemed a god whom the world judged to have Victory and Triumphs attending on his Sword his Corps were so miserably trod on that after the Battel was ended there could hardly be a discovery of them His fall was so far from dispiriting the Sweeds that it edged their Swords that had not night prevented the luster which the Duke of Fredland gained by his Martial Valour and Policy they had then received a fatal Eclipse and the Emperial Army a total overthrow The loss of the Spanish General in the Isle of Rugen gave an eminent Victory to the Sweeds which revived the drooping concerns of that Crown Julian being carried to his Pavilion enjoyed the company of Maximus and Priscus who animated him against the fear of Death by profound discourses concerning the Sublimity of the Soul The wound being great caused such Tumours in his Veins and Artries that hindred circulation and motion of the Spirits The exorbitances of heat caused such pain that he desired about midnight cold Water which being brought him immediately after drinking of it he dyed in the 32. year of his Age. The Artifices which Julian the Apostate used to Destroy and Disgrace Christianity THe measures which Julian took in his persecutions were different from those of the Pagan Emperors his Predecessors Apostates are cruel and politick He endeavoured by all fineness of Wit to conceal his cruel Methods In Disgrace of our Lord he called Christ the Carpenters-Son and the Man of Galilee and Christians Galileans that by odious names he might discredit the Gospel He endeavoured to make his Courtiers and great Officers Apostates by proposing to them Rewards Dignities and preferments and assaulted them with all Imaginable Wit and Eloquence Cesarius Brother to
The Triumph of Christianity OR THE LIFE OF Cl. Fl. Julian THE APOSTATE WITH REMARKS contain'd in the Resolution of several Queries To which is added REFLECTIONS upon a Pamphlet call'd Seasonable Remarks on the Fall of the Emperor Julian And on part of a late pernicious Book entituled A Short Account of the Life of Julian c. Thanks be to God who has made us always to Triumph in Christ LONDON Printed by J. Grantham for R. R. and are to be sold by Hugh Ellis Bookseller in Oxon 1683. THE PREFACE TO add to those many Arguments which prove and demonstrate this great Truth That the Religion of the Holy Jesus is Divine and most certainly true I have not without reason judged that the Life and Death of Julian the Apostate is a great demonstration of it The Christian Religion was more opposed by this Emperor than by any preceding Heathen Persecutors By those same means which establish and aggrandize this Religion he designs to ruine it The Religion given us by the Holy Jesus is incomparable for the Holiness of its Laws a Religion in the whole frame and model of it suitable to our natural faculties a Religion rendred so admirable by its publick Rites and Form of Divine Worship a Religion made so illustrious by that universal Sanctity which appeared in the times of the Primitive Christians and is now though a degenerate age conspicuous In no age the Shades of Darkness so overspread the Church in which no Stars did appear To revive the Pagan Superstition he endeavoured to make it resplendent by making the Worshippers of Idols to imitate the admirable conversations of Christians The Religion of the Holy Jesus carries the Signatures of Heaven it hath the impress of Gods Omnipotence in Miracles of Gods Omniscience in Prophecies That he might give the precedency to Paganisme he with his Philosophers who attended him addicted themselves to all sorts of Divinations and likewise they gloried in Miracles but how false the one and ridiculous the other were this History fully manifests There was another Divine Character in the Religion of the Holy Jesus to which they could not pretend The Infinite Holiness of God Holiness being his cheif attribute was elucent in the enabling so many Millions of all sorts Sexes and Ages not only to lead the most exemplary lives but to chuse and endure the most lingring Torments even unto death rather than they would violate the Law of the Lord Jesus or be Apostates from the Religion which gives the best rules for living well and from whence springs the sweetest comforts Produce any Religion in any Age which glories in so many Martyrs as the Christian does So true is that of Trajane the Roman Emperour No people suffer so much for their God as Christians do Pythagoras a great Philosopher and of eminent conversation gained such an esteem that he sometimes had Divine worship given him and was ambitious to be esteemed Apollo By his followers he was honoured as a Demi-God His Disciples took from him the name of their lofty and refined Sect which flourished in Magna Grecia now Calabria Chilo the Cratonean a rich and potent Epicurean being incensed against them raised the Arms of that City and cut them off his fury did not there cease for he led his forces and destroyed them in other Cities Let History be appealed then it will be evident that Christianity hath gained by persecution and according to my Reading never was there such a School of the Pythagoreans before or after that Slaughter of them Here Julian was at a loss to ruine Christianity he opened the Schools of Philosophers encouraged the flowing Tongues and Pens of Orators yet nothing could raise the minds of Heathens to do and suffer as the Christians did for the Glory of God Add to all his Stratagems his bloody Persecutions he must really be judged one of the greatest persecutors in the World Yet this Christian Religion Triumphed Christians by their Divine Philosophy and Gracious Lives the Patience and Courage which they shewed in their greatest Persecutions they bafled the Pens of Philosophers and blunted the Swords of Tyrants and the Laurel of the Church flourished notwithstanding the Artifices which this great enemy of our Faith used to extirpate it But now Christianity is opposed by another sort of persons The School of Epicurus is now reviv'd and opened that School which was laughed at not only by Christians but by all the wisest Men in the world now seems to flourish The first that encourag'd it as appears to me was Beregard at Pisa which is delivered to us in his Pisane Circle It gain'd a greater strength and esteem in the world by Gassendus his Dissertations upon the Tenth Book of Laertius they both were great men and really had been as great as any of their Age if their Sentiments had not given a desperate wound to Religion and made way for Hobs and Spinosa's Impieties If there be a Fatal necessity as Hobs and Spinosa directly affirm How can Moses his Narrative of the Worlds Creation be believ'd And indeed what Religion Justice and Virtue is there and whether that which Beregard and Gassendus speak de facto libertate primi Motoris according to Epicurus his Dogma intimate not the same I am vastly mistaken Religion which is confirmed by Miracles and Prophecies receives an Authority from the Broad Seal of Heaven They who deny both vainly endeavour to give a fatal wound to the Eternal Gospel He that Reads what Beregard saith of Miracles and his scoffing at Chariots of Fire comparing them to the fiction of Orlando Furioso and what they both affirm concerning Fate and Liberty of the Will may easily conjecture what they intend In words they expresly acknowledge both but aver what is a real Miracle or Prophesie cannot be known but by the determination of the Church Hobs rejecting this he that he might not seem to deny Miracles or Prophecies doth so speak of them as they must not be esteemed so except the Supreme Magistrate saith they are so Spinosa throws off the vail and makes all Prophecies to be but mere conjectures And tells us that a Miracle cannot be granted in Truth If the being of a Miracle depended upon the Judgement of the Ecclesiastical or Civil Power there was no Miracle or Prophecy for either the Sentence they pass is true or not if true then the existence of a Miracle precedes the determination of the Church or Civil Power The determination of the nature of a thing can't depend upon the determining but upon the nature of the thing it self That is a true judgement which agrees with that thing on which the judgement is passed This is a most unreasonable and absurd Paralogism on which depends and runs through the Divinity Ethicks and Politicks of Hobs and Spinosa That the worship given in Religion is Divine because determined by the Magistrate or a Law just because establish'd by Authority or the publick management
Nazianzen was a Physitian at Court a man of very great parts and of a Singular life an able Physitian and a profound Philosopher Him Julian for his learning and endowments very much honoured and endeavoured by all means to draw from the faith of Christ but all in vain for no eloquence no force of Argument nor the powerful Rhetorick of Rewards and Honours could move him for he evades all the Artifices of Julian by this free confession I am a Christian Julian never published any Sanguinary Edict against the Christians whom he knew would endure all sorts of Tortures for the Honour of their Master generously and joyfully The effects of Dioclesians Butcheries made him understand that no Garden being Seasonably watered more flourishes than the Church of Christ when the blood of Martyrs was poured on it Yet he delighted in the Blood of Christians Murders were committed in popular tumults which he did not punish or prevent but would palliate his cruelty not with Religion but the pretence of Criminal Offences Helbidius the chief Commander of the pretorian Guard by reason he found him constant in his Religion he removed from his Command and being desirous to put him to an ignominious Death laid Treason to his Charge condemn'd him to be drawn by Wild-Horses and afterwards to be burnt to Ashes Christians who during the Empire of Religious Princes had thrown down Idolatrous Altars demolish't Temples and hindred the Oblations to Heathen gods were hurried before the Courts of Judicature and condemn'd and if one that persisted in Christianity was but accused of such actions though he had no hand in them he was condemned He commanded all Physitians Orators and Soldiers either to abjure their faith or leave their profession he permitted no Christian to be of the Pretorian Guard by this means he shewed his most deadly hatred of Christianity If persons on such an account would abjure their faith they would render themselves ridiculous to the world by preferring riches to faith If they generously persisted their Victory was not glorious for what great matter would it be for the sake of Religion to contemn an Art or Profession He removed the Cross from the Imperial Zebarum and instead of it placed the Axcilia and to his publick Images he caused the Image of Jupiter to be affixed as a god appearing out of Heaven and reaching a Diadem and Purple to him Mars and Mercury were drawn looking upon his Picture to testify by the cast of their eyes that in him Eloquence and Military discipline Superlatively met which he out of a deep policy commanded that unwary Christians which were in his Army by that means should be induced to Idolatry It was a Custom in the Army to shew Reverence to the Images of the Emperors which if according to the Ancient mode they did they then gave Reverence to the Heathen gods not many of the Christians perceived this fraud for if they denyed the doing of Reverence to the Images of the Emperor they were punished as Malefactors and Enemies and Seditious Innovators to their Prince If they did they were in Danger of Idolatry Thus did he varnish his impious designs It was usual at some set times of the year for the Roman Emperors to reward their Soldiers Julian when the Largesses were appointed to be given commanded that Fire and Incense should be prepared that when the Soldiers received their donatives they might cast incense upon the fire By this device he entrapped the Covetous and unwary Soldiers who being caught in this snare fell into Idolatry Some perceiving this cunning trick preferring Religion to all gain or honour refused the Emperors Largess Some through fear others bribed by Coveteousness wittingly communicated with Pagans in their Rites others were deceived and through Ignorance complied Of these some coming to a Feast with their fellow Soldiers when they drank according to the Holy manner of Christians invocated the name of Christ to whom one that was present returns how dare you invocate that Christ whom you have so lately denied For when you received the Emperors Money you offered Incense At which words they were struck with horrour and ran up and down the Streets bitterly bewailing that fact calling God and all his Saints to witness that they did it out of Ignorance that they were Christians and did remain in the Faith of Christ When they came to the Emperor they threw the Gold at his feet and desired that they might expiate their Crime by Death and as by fire they Sinned so by fire they might Suffer But Julian though grieveously incensed did not not put them to Death but cashier'd and banished them To discountenance Christianity he prohibited Christians to execute any Civil power saying that those that deserved Death ought not to be trusted with the Sword of Justice Though he made an Edict that no Christians should remain in the Army yet some for their valour and fidelity he retained in his Service as Jovian who was a great Commander in his Army in the expedition against the Persians and Valentinian In the Cathedral Church at Constantinople he placed the Altar of Fortune upon which to offer Sacrifice he went accompanied with his Courtiers and great Officers amongst whom was this Valentinian whose place being immediately before the Emperor those to whom the care of the Church or holy things was committed standing in the Porch with Holy-water to cast upon those which came to worship some of it fell upon Valentinian which threw him into such an Holy indignation that he gave him that threw the water a box on the ear and said that by that dirty water he was not expiated but polluted and tore so much of his Garment off as the water fell upon which being done in the prsence of Julian cast him into an extraordinary anger and so he banished him At Constantinople he endeavoured to force the Christians to Idolatry by famishing them for though all things which were for the food of Man as Bread and Flesh were publickly exposed to Sale yet he polluted them by offering them up to Idols whereby the Christians must either dye by Famine or to preserve their Lives must give an honour to the Heathen-gods but being in this danger they were rescued miraculously My Author reports that they consulted Theodorus the Martyr as their Oracle by whom they were counselled that instead of Bread and Meat they should eat boil'd wheat which they did and were thereby sustained and freed from the suspition of Idolatry Julian Seeing this device frustrated permits Victuals freely to be sold During that Policy of Julian the Rich shewed their Liberality to the Poor in the bestowing bountifully amongst the indigent boil'd Wheat In memorial of which at Constantinople on the Aniversary of that Martyr the rich Christians distribute amongst the poor boild wheat After he had tarried at Constantinople ten Months coming to Chalcedon on the other Side of the water there came to him from the King of
Exchequer-Rolls in which the Rates of their Imposition was Recorded and promises them upon his Victorious return from the Persian Expedition to rebuild Jerusalem and fill it with Jews and inhabit in it himself that with them he might Sacrifice to the Powerful and Gracious God He commanded the Jews to offer Sacrifice to which they presently returned That their Laws would not permit them to offer Sacrifice out of Jerusalem and therefore desired him to restore the City and build the Temple which request of theirs he granted and issued out an Edict for the rebuilding the City and Temple and gave the charge of the speedy dispatch of this affair to Alipius Prefect of Antioch sometimes Viceroy of Brittain The Jewish Women with so great a Cheerfulness encouraged this work that they sold their Jewels their Ornaments and their Cloaths towards the defraying the Charges they spared not their delicate and tender Bodies but in their Richest Attire would carry Mortar towards the building of this Structure But God wonderfully frustrated this enterprize Cyril Bishop of Jerusalem being returned from Banishment was not at all dismayed but comforted his dejected Flock by assuring of them that the Issue of this undertaking would be the compleat fulfilling of our Saviours Prediction that one Stone should not be left upon another And accordingly it happened for whilst the Jews were busied in throwing away the Earth and Rubbish Flaming Balls of fire issued out of the Earth which burnt many of the Workmen and consumed their Tools and Instruments designed for the building of the Temple and as oft as they renewed the attempt so oft they were repulsed by Fire There were heard hideous noises and a prodigious Earthquake which threw up the Stones that remained in the old Foundation This is not only averred by Christians but likewise by Heathens To this miraculous Fire in the Earth was added a miraculous Light in the Heavens which appeared in the form of a Cross and powdered the Garments not only of Christians but Pagans with Crosses Thus that Name and Figure which was contemned upon Earth appears in the Heavens as a Divine Trophy Chrysostom in his 2d Homily against the Jews after he had given a Narrative of this miraculous Fire thus directs his discourse to his Auditors If you go to Jerusalem you shall find the Foundations cleansed we are all Witnesses of this done it was done not long since in our time Consider now the Triumph of Christianity This did not happen in the Empires of Pious Coesars lest any one might say that Christians encouraged by their Emperors might suddenly fall upon the Jews and so frustrate their intentions No but it was when the affairs of Christians were deplorable when Paganism flourished when Liberty was denyed us when we were all in danger of our Lives when Believers lay concealed in their Houses and fled into desarts then these things happened that the most impudent might not have the least occasion to deny or palliate this thing At this Julian was so enraged that he intended to persecute the Christians as Magicians for those cannot see the Methods of Divine Providence whose eyes the God of this World hath blinded He was confident of being Victorious in Persia he vowed upon his return to put Basil and Nazianzen to cruel deaths and that he would build a Theacre of those Materials which were prepared for the rebuilding of the Temple in which he would Sacrifice the Christians to Devils But God frustrated his cruel designs his Vows were impious and his Hopes a Dream JULIAN ' s Character JVLIAN was born of Constantius who conspired the death of Constantine the Great his Brother who attempting the Purple was slain in a Tumult and of Basilina a Religious Princess Tho' the Soul be in its Essence far superior to the Body yet it receives some inclinations to Virtue or Vice from it Some may judge it a fond trifle if I should attribute any thing of Julian's devotion to Basilina or of his Apostacy to Constantius Sure I am that the disposition of Parents is many times derived to their Children 'T is a miserable vanity to attend with the greatest care the breed of Cattel Horses nay Dogs and Swine and neglect the qualities of those that are design'd for Marriage the splendor of Gold and Silver so dazling the eyes of Parents that in the Marriage of their Children they believe Riches makes the Deformed Beautiful the Lascivious Chast the Fool Prudent the Debauch'd Temperate and the Prophane Religious Hence Springs a degenerate weak and vicious Progeny Julian was of a graceful aspect his eyes lively he was not very tall or bulky but well compact he had a good Head and being of a strong constitution was fit for the Sword and Pen he had prominent Shoulders which in his walking he was observ'd to move and shake he had a strait Nose the Nose is the symbol of sagacity hence prudent and inquisitive men are nasuti and 't is a commendation for a person to be Emunctoe naris his Mouth somewhat with the greatest He was very talkative his Tongue was seldome idle he had a fat Neck and bending forward from the Crown of his Head to the Nails of his Toes he carried a just proportion and an uniform knitting of his lineaments whereby he was strong and nimble his Eyes whirl'd about the cast of them was insolent and fierce his Nose breathed injury and contempt his Legs somewhat crooked and his Feet were always in motion The ridiculous Figure and Composure of his Face gave an indication of his evil temper he was always profuse and loud in his laughter his nodding usually denoting his assent or refusal Being known to Nazianzen at Athens he was a great observer of him his gesture and mean and thus saith of him I know that I shall not be an ill conjecturer of him tho' by nature I am not fram'd for that purpose yet the regularity of his carriage and his frequent commotions he that knows well how to conjecture is a good Divine manifested that nothing of Christ appeared in him his discourse was with hoesitation and interruptions his questions disorderly and not intelligible his answers were not superiour they being not well digested nor proceeding in a learned method so suddenly pressing upon one another Why should I thus particularly describe them Him I saw before he appear'd whom I beheld thus acting on the Stage there are those alive who knew and heard me speak these things and will without difficulty attest it The Levity of his nature made him inclinable to Revolt A good Face carries Letters of Commendations with it Galba was deformed which was hid by his Military Vertue whilst he was under Command but made him despised when Emperor The esteem which the Army had for his Valour and Policy was lessened by this Sentence which became Proverbial amongst them Anima Galboe male habitat This Grace of Julian's did argue him effeminate for he affected a long
Maximinian and now lately in Julian When I was a Child and instructed in Grammar Rules and Exercises every City was filled with the Blood of impious Victims unexpectedly news was brought of Julians Death upon which I heard a Heathen thus descant How comes it to pass that the Christians say their God is patient and long-Suffering when no anger is more sudden and present than this For he would not defer his Indignation and Fury no not for a little space If we add the Testimony of Christians all unanimously attribute his death to the avenging Hand of God Holy men enlightned by the Divine Spirit foretold it Athanasius comforting the Christians who were ready to sink under the weight of Julian's Persecutions assures them that the Cloud would suddenly be dissolved meaning that Julian's death was approaching The like was that of a Holy man who being scoffingly asked How was the Carpenters Son employed returned He is preparing a Coffin for Julian These Prophesies were confirmed by his death which shortly fell out The notice of his death by Revelations and Visions that God made to Holy men are a Singular Testimony of the Truth of this Lozo Lib. 6. Cap. 2. When one was hastning to go to Julian who was then in Persia having seated himself in the high-way by reason there were no conveniency in Houses he retired into a Church where he slept and in his sleep he saw many of the Apostles and Prophets gathered together who greatly complained of those injuries and indignities which Julian did to the Church they entred into a consult and after a long deliberation whilst they were in suspense two of them rose up and bid the rest be of good Courage for they would go and put a period to Julian's Empire The person having received this Vision neglected his journey expecting the end of the Vision and sleeping the next night in the same Church he saw the same company and two persons as stepping out of the way and coming to them told them that Julian was slain He adds immediately another Vision made to Didymus a person in Holy-Orders and very much addicted to Christian Philosophy who was mightily affected with those impieties which Julian perpetrated to the ruin of Christian Religion and that the Emperor should be so seduced he betakes himself to Fasting and Prayer the following night as he sat on his Throne being in an extasy he saw as it were white Horses running in the Air and heard the Riders saying Tell Didymus that this very hour Julian is slain and let him signifie this to Athanasius Theodoret gives this account of one Julian of the same name with the Apostate he was a person that lived an ascetick Life and when he was Twenty days journey from his Cell to the Army he had this Vision Whilst he was praying to God who is the great giver of aid presently his tears were stayed he ceased to weep and became of a chearful Countenance the joy of his Soul appearing in his looks His Confident asked him the reason of that Change he returned The wild Boar of the Forest the great enemy of the Vineyard of the Lord was dead on whom God had inflicted a most just punish-men that he could no longer continue any designs against the Church of God which caused the whole fraternity to throw themselves into an expressive joy Afterwards they were certified that the same day and hour when this most divine and aged person acquainted them with the death of him who was the plague of Christians he was removed into another World If any one Scruple these Narratives I must return These Historians are not fabulous and that though miracles and visions are not so frequent as they were in Apostolical times yet they never ceased in the Church of God Chrysostom is alledged as a person who affirmed that miracles were ceased in his time yet I must aver that those authorities of his mean only the unfrequency of them or else he forgets and contradicts himself in several Sermons he confirms believers by them I will assert that the consequence of his death gives an evident Testimony that it proceeded from the Hand of God He was indubitably a Prince of great Wit and undertaking God is the Author of Wisdom no Prince more abused his natural prudence than he by burning his Ships His great intentions were to destroy Christianity yet he would not elect any of his great Commanders who were Heathens to suceed him in the Empire He closed his last speech to his Commanders with these words I wish there may be found a good Ruler after me He was so confident of the humor of his Army that he having so modelled it did not at least suspect that it would declare a Christian Emperor The Army proffered the Purple to Salustius the Praefect On a sudden a long time was not admitted for deliberation Jovianus was chosen Emperor Before the death of Julian the State of Christians seemed as most desperate Sweetly Nazianzen thus Our meaning Christians Weapons our Walls our Strength was only trust and hope in God when we were left destitute and deprived of all humane aid who remained to receive our Prayers and defend us from injury but God alone O incredible Narratives of the Timerity of Julian whose hopes caused him to entertain such bloody designs he vowed us a Sacrifice to Devils us the Inheritance of the Lord an holy Nation a Royal Priesthood to be the satisfier of his Hopes and the Crown of his Persian War Afterwards he acquaints us what Christians did whilst God was deferring his anger and just revenge Sometimes we sent up our Prayers to Heaven we made our humble complaints to our bountiful and dear Father sometimes we were expostulating with him as persons in great anguish of mind Oh God! why hast thou cast us off for ever why doth thine anger smoke against the Sheep of thy Pasture But upon the Death of this Apostate our mournful notes were turned into Triumphant Songs Bell is fallen Dagon is broken Sharon is a Wilderness Lebanus is hewen down In the same invective at the news of Julian's death take the Christians joy in which the abuses that Pagans cast upon them and the Rites of Christians are seen These are the Lamentations of us Galileans of us abject and scorned persons of us who adore Christ of us whom the Heathens say are the Disciples of illitarate Fishermen of us who converse and sing with Old Women and trifle with them our Nocturnal station and vainly put away our Night Sleep yet notwithstanding all the jeers you cast upon us we conquer and subdue you Where are your Councellors your Sacrifices and sacred Mysteries Where are those Victims which are privately and publickly offered Where is that Art of Divination by inspecting the Bowels of Animals Where is the Vanity of their Predictions Where are the Conjuring Omens given by Devils who have actually entred the Breasts of Men Where is famous Babylon so much
commended by great Pens Where are the Persians and Medes who were Captivated Where are those gods who Commanded and were Subdued who fought and defended yet were conquered What are become of those Oracles and those threatning Predictions against Christians Where is that Slaughter designed against them the day on which it was to be executed and the names of those who were designed to be murthered were recorded they are all become vain the Ostentations of the wicked are become like a Dream which soon passes and vanisheth away The Church being reduced into straits the Heathens insulted over it on a sudden the God of the Christians the Lord of Hosts did with his great and long Sword punish the Leviathan that piercing Serpent even Leviathan that crooked Serpent Certainly this was the mighty Act of God that at his death an Army though Paganish should declare a Christian to be Emperor one who under Julian refused to Sacrifice yet for his Valour and Military Conduct Julian Judged necessary to keep in his Persian Expedition who refused the Purple until the Army professed themselves Christians telling them it was not fit that a Christian Emperor should Command a Pagan Army but they gave a loud acclamation crying they were Christians then he accepted and proclaimed his usual Apothegme Vita Christus est Qu. III. Whether there be true Miracles or not THe Opinion that denies Miracles too much prevails By a Miracle I understand that thing which is extraordinarily produced by a divine Power it not being in the Sphere of Nature to be the cause of it That has the nature of a Miracle which is produced by a divine Power Angels and Men have been the Instruments of working Miracles but the principal cause was God Hobs seems to assert Miracles but so as he does other Truths Ficte Fucate for his opinion of Fatal necessity is inconsistent with that of Miracles withal he making the Magistrate to be the sole Judge of Miracles takes away all Miracles for to aver that a Miracle is not to be accounted a Miracle except it have the suffrage of a supream power is to aver there are no miracles therefore Sp. saies perspicuously There are no miracles for thus he pronounceth nothing can be effected above the power of Nature otherwise the course of nature would be destroyed for all things are carried on by a fatal necessity If any thing therefore as a Miracle should happen the World would be everted To which I reply that the course of this World is not managed by a fatal Necessity for the conception of a Fatal necessity is contradictory to the notion of an Eternal Diety and there can be no conception of Omnipotence and Infinite Power but in a Being that is void of all imperfections and includes in himself all Excellencies and Perfections Liberty of Will is without doubt one of the perfections of rational beings If Almighty God could have made the World otherwise than it is or men more perfect then they are then there is no fatal Necessity but God acted Arbitrarily according to the good Pleasure of his own Will if not then he was not Omnipotent nor Omniscient he neither knows how nor could produce a thing better than it is and that Being cannot properly be called Omnipotent or Omniscient whose power and knowledge are limited From the Divine Attributes therefore is evinced the possibility of Miracles and the real existence of them is proved by matter of Fact The Nation of the Israelites being brought out of Egypt by the Power of God had Manna miraculously rained upon them which suffic'd for the maintenance of 3000 men every day and if the measure appointed by the Divine Wisdom was not observed by any person who upon an apprehension of a want on the Sabbath-day collected a double quantity on the day preceding the Manna by its stinking would prove hurtful to the takers of it If such a thing was done how could it be but miraculously that it was done so many Thousand people could not but be sufficient Testimonies of it And it could not be imagined that for so many years so many Thousand persons should be deceived Our Lord and Saviour rose from the Grave upon the Testimony of which Miracle our glorious Religion does consist and his rising from the dead by his own Power is a most invincible Testimony of the Truth of his Doctrine His Apostles every where went abroad to Preach Salvation only to be obtained by Faith in the Lord and if they were assured of his Resurrection they had sufficient encouragement for what could be greater they were to pass through the World to Preach Religion contrary to the common humours of Mankind And how could they expect a success of their endeavours but by the assurance of him that rose from the dead that he would constantly assist them They were spectators of his ascension into Heaven when he promised them his assistance and nothing could resist him who in the sight of Apostles was carried up into Heaven acquainting of them that all Power was given to him both in Heaven and in Earth being thus encouraged they went Preaching throughout the World with that success that within Forty years some in most places of the world entertain'd those Mysteries and that Doctrine which brings Salvation What could induce the Apostles to undertake this employment were they invited by Honours No they were judged the off-scouring of the World Did Riches they were Poor or reduc'd to Poverty Did Pleasures they exposed themselves to all dangers suffered various torments and at last generally underwent those cruelties which crown'd them with a glorious Martyrdom These things being done and suffer'd by them for what end but the expectation of a future happiness And what could make them believe that but the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead which tho' he foretold his Disciples yet when he was apprehended they all forsook him one of whom denied him and was made by a pitiful Maid so timerous and sneaking as to abjure him But afterwards he and the rest being eye-witnesses of his Resurrection were so confident and magnanimous that they all freely exposed themselves to the greatest dangers torments and death it self in the defence and propagating that great Truth If Christ be risen again there is a Miracle That he did Rise again no greater testimony can be given for the proof of any other thing than for this Had they any Learning to perswade the World In what Academy were they brought up They Preach'd the Gospel to every Nation How came they to know the Language of every Nation What Master taught them these various Languages That they did know them is evident by the success their Preaching had in the World This is another evidence of Christs Resurrection for they were not only eye-witnesses of it but receiv'd the signal benefit thereby Those Balls of fire and that Earthquake which frustrated Julian's attempts to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem certainly were miraculous
is referred to the judgement of a considerate Reader The Christians could not possibly think that Julian tho' created Coesar had a right to the Imperial Crown especially when they saw he had forfeited any Paternal right by his Rebellion The Pathetick and almost inimitable eloquence of Gregory only Provest that Constantius did impolitickly in creating Julian Coesar which I have proved in the resolution of the 1st Quest but does not at all evince this Proposition But when he saith The fault and mischief of Constantius his action was not because Julian usurp'd upon him nor upon any other consideration whatsoever but purely because the Christian Religion suffer'd by it This cannot be allowed for Gallus his Brother being created Coesar tho' he was a great friend to the Christians and a Professor of Christianity yet Constantius having a suspition that he aspir'd to the Empire cut him off and Constantius at the first notice that he was saluted Augustus nay lest his Victories should gain so much upon the Army that they would make him Emperor sent a Collonel to withdraw some of his best Soldiers from him yet all this while Julian professed Christianity and did not publickly declare himself a Pagan till Constantius was dead Constantius therefore is to be excused because he was ignorant both as to his aspiring to the Empire and his Apostacy from Christianity Julian after he accepted the Empire and Constantius greatly enraged to appease him he beg'd that he might bear a share in the Empire Indeed Constantius and none but Constantius could lawfully exclude Julian from the Empire Tho' 't is true that the Christians had such an aversion to a Pagan Successor that they could not indure him when he was become their lawful Emperor yet it was equally true that they never could endure the thoughts of taking up Arms against him It must be acknowledged that they gave him evil words yet it cannot be hence inferr'd that they would fight him Hillarius Bishop of Poictiers wrote a sharp Invective against Constantius himself tho' Constantius was a great lover of the Christian Religion yet seduc'd by his Courtiers he mov'd a violent Persecution against the Catholicks No Christians used more bitter expressions against Julian than he did against Constantius yet cannot any body see the least word in his Invective whereby he would animate the Catholick Christians to take up Arms against him It remains to examine whether any actions of the Christians did conclude that if they could they would have oppos'd Julian by Arms Constantius it 's certain did repent him that he did create Julian Coesar none could devolve that power upon him nor divest him of it but Constantius There 's not one word in the famous Invective of Nazianzen to excite the Christians to Arms I will grant that they reproach'd Julian and his Religion to his Beard I confess they did beat his Pagan Priests before his Face but I deny that they would have done the same to him That they prayed for his confusion and loaded his memory with the greatest disgrace must be granted but that from these their actions and words must follow that they would if they could have taken up Arms against the Emperor In my Book called The Clergies Honour under the Head The Loyalty of those Fathers I gave a full instance of their Passive Obedience Withal the Christian Principle is We must not do evil that good may come on it No Christian for a temporal gain by committing a crime must hazard his eternal happiness The first Christians suffered according to the Laws of their Country whereas these under Julian were persecuted contrary to Law so that the same men who would have quietly submitted to the Laws under a Nero or Dioclesian do nevertheless pursue Julian as if he were a Midnight-Thief or a Highway-Robber This is refuted before where Julian's Laws had as great force as those of Nero or Dioclesian and that the Laws that Julian made render the Christians unable legally to take up Arms against him if they could His own practice gives an intimation that he had that confidence in them He retain'd in his service notwithstanding those Edicts which he published to cast out all Christians out of his Army several great Commanders which were Christians such was Valentinian until he beat the Priest and Jovian until his death both which were afterwards Emperors For he that has the power to make a Law has the power of dispensation And common Soldiers of which an account we have in the former part of the History amongst which were Juventius and Maximianus he was extreamly politick and it may be said of him as it was of Julius Tammarte quam mercurio ex utroque Caesar He fighting with the Barbarous Nations had Six hundred Soldiers new raised milites gravis armaturoe in these he put great confidence though the Victory inclin'd to him yet these ran away whom neither promises threats nor his own personal assurance that the Enemies were flying could recall These he did not according to the usual method of War deliver Captives into the hands of the Enemy but caus'd them to be put in Womens Aparrel and so drest led them through the Army which filled them with such a confusion that they esteem'd the disgrace worse than death and so enrag'd them that at the next Battel they flew amongst the Barbarians like Lyons did wonders and was a great occasion of obtaining the Victory Scipio when he saw his Army dissolute and inclin'd to Essemenacy he put on Funeral weeds and so walked about the Army thus provoking the Soldiers to Valour by casting this reproach upon them that such an effeminate Army will be the cause of his and their Death Stratagems are as necessary for a General as Valour A Prince that 's fortunate must have part of the Fox joyn'd to the Lyons heart Theodoret. Lib. 3. Cap. 15. Thus prefaceth of those two Martyrs Juventius and Maximianus Julian with the greatest boldness or rather with impudence having put on the vizard of meekness prepares nets and snares to destroy Piety There were two persons famous in the Army who were of the Emperors Foot-life-guard and in a Feast with their fellow Soldiers did bitterly bewail the fiery abominations of those times and used the admirable words of the three Children in Babylon and further added Thou hast delivered us O Lord into the hands of an Apostate a King more wicked than any that reigns in the world These words were related by some that sat at Table with them they were brought before Julian who asked them whether they said those words This Question of the King heightned their Courage who thus replyed We O King being bred up in a true Religion and obeying most holy Laws we do bewail when we see all places filled with impiety and most impious Sacrifices our meat and drink defil'd These things are the cause of our bitter complaints not only at home but before your Majesty He hearing
burning upon an Altar dissipates Thunder and Prayer averts the anger of Heaven Qu. V. If Christianity hath such an innate purity and glory how comes it to pass that Christians should so violently persecute Christians IF such an Intrinsick worth be in Religion how comes it to pass that Christians are so cruel to Christians that no sort of men prosecute one another with greater violence and hatred than Christians do 'T is a sad Character that Ammianus Marcellinus gives of Christians No Tygers nor Wolves so cruel as Christians to Christians Those most dreadful Persecutions raised by Christians against Christians those instruments of cruelty wherewith Christians have Tortured Christians are sad Evictions of this truth To which I Answer that though the matter of Fact be confessed yet Religion cannot be judged culpable It prompts not to anger but meekness not to Revenge but forgive not to Fierceness and Cruelty but to Humanity and Sweetness It urges not War and Blood but Health and Peace the Master that Christians serve is the Prince of Peace the Gospel which is the Rule of their Lives is the Gospel of Peace and the future happiness to which they are invited is a peaceable Habitation Justin Martyr had a great contest with Crescens a Cynick Philosopher who acted a Philosopher in his garb and demeanor when otherwise he was one that hunted after Praise indulged his Pleasures and immoderately heaped up Riches he practised those Vices which were different from the Virtues which are the ornaments of a true Philosopher This Crescens slanders Christ him Justin confutes and proves him to be vicious and ignorant this charge in his Apology he profers to make good Crescens perceiving how he was bafled endeavoured to procure the death of Justin for which he thus reprehends him That He who perswaded others to despise Death should himself fear it and he who exhorted to a Patient and joyful enduring of Death by reason it puts the Soul into harbour opens the Prison-door whereby the Soul is at Liberty and enjoys a Blessed Immortality yet endeavours to inflict death upon me as the greatest evil I may say the same of Christians how absurd is it for them who believe a life Eternal a future retribution future torments for which the quality and nature far surmount the Spanish Inquisition Ravilliac's Tortures or the dreadful miseries which Moses one of Scanderbeg's Lieutenants endured in Fifteen days flaying should persecute Christians with the most feral cruelties which Policy and Malice can invent or execute This can't be imputed to our Religion which for Meekness Peace Amiableness and Love is preferable to all the Religions in the World 'T is this Religion which calls to endure to suffer for Righteousness-sake to fry Ten thousand Faggots with our Flesh to Purple as many Axes with our Blood rather than sin That same Religion cannot prompt its Professors to such bloody actions We will confess these things have given a great reason to complain of many Professors of so excellent a Religion These actions are no reproach to Christianity 1st It must be granted the Vices of most men are not a just reproach of humane nature What Murthers what Fires what Blood what devastations have been by men caused against men upon no account of Religion Those Wars managed with so great success by the Romans that no Empire of the World ever did or is ever in any probability to attain those they never commenced on the account of Religion they revered the Tutelar gods of every Country and therefore at the besieging of a City that they might the more easily conquer it they did avocare Deos yet what murthers and the sad effects of War they themselves were the causes of 't is notoriously known Pompey did glory that he was the occasion that Eleven hundred Thousand men were destroyed Tamerlane that in the Torrent of his Victories he should be the cause of the death of Eight hundred Thousand What cruelties have been acted by men upon men the Histories of all Ages will attest All these ascertain that there is an Original Sin but yet does not reproach humane nature indeed Mr. Hobs saith that the State of nature is a state of War and that all persons are equal And Spinosa who is Hobs Unvailed says expresly that men are formed to destroy one another as greater Fishes to devour the smaller Theol. Polit. Cap. 13. A fulsome similitude he uses to explain a notorious untruth There is no such estate of nature nor is it possible to conceive such an equality amongst persons for if the Original of man be by Creation then by the Successive generation the question is determined if we suppose men to be born by the prolifick power of Egyptian slime and the benign influence of the Heavenly bodies yet experience acquaints us there is no such equality naturally Think we the understanding of every Grecian was equal to the vast Wit of Aristotle the valour and conduct of every Scythian to that of Tamerlain the eloquence and parts of every Roman could parallel those of Cicero whose Wit equalled the Roman Empire No Fictions may be admitted which serve to explain the Phornomena's of the Heavenly Bodies but to admit such Fictions which destroy Justice under the pretence of giving the true nature of Justice explaining it is a most notorious absurdity and not to be endured Vertue and Goodness are not fictitious though such feral and Bloody actions have been perpetrated by Men yet it doth not conclude that mortals are divested of all humanity or that there are no Laws wrote on the Breasts of men which may be fairly read in the just lives of many excellent persons As Cruelties acted by men upon men reproach not humanity so the persecuting Spirit of some Christians do not justly cast an imputation on Christianity its self 2. It will not be amiss to enquire when this persecuting and bloody spirit invaded the Breast of Christians It must be acknowledged that during the first Ten Persecutions no such spirit appeared There was great divisions many Heresies yet the true Church maintained its self by holiness of Life patient suffering of Tortures and an excellent discipline The only allurements to Christians were a future glory and terror Eternal punishments but when the Emperors became Christians that restless Enemy of Mankind and the great opposer of Christ Jesus imploy'd all his Arts to make Christians act upon Christians those cruelties Pagan Emperors did In the Empire of Constantinus the great Arrius was raised up by Satan to disturb Christianity he colouring what some former Hereticks had not so clearly broached declared in the Church of Alexandria that Christ was not true God coessential with the Father Whence sprung those first Persecutions of Christians against Christians but on the Arrian account Under Constantius the Great no Persecutions were moved His Son Constantius to whom he gave his Empire of the East was prompted though not by his own nature but his Court-Parasites who